The capabilities of entry-class video cards are no longer always enough for games even with average graphics quality settings at Full HD resolution. Adapters of a higher class are noticeably more expensive, so the keen interest in video cards that are at the junction of the basic and medium categories is understandable. These include the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti. The “titanium” version has a more powerful graphics processor than the GTX 1050 and 4 GB of memory. Today we are reviewing the MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GAMING X 4G - one of the most equipped models in its line.
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Contents of delivery
The video card comes in a medium-sized box with a bright design. The front panel contains a large photograph of the device and the name of the adapter series.
The kit includes only the essentials - a disk with drivers and proprietary software, as well as a short guide for installing the adapter.
⇡#Test stand, testing methodology
| Test bench configuration | |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-5960X @ 4 GHz (100 MHz × 40), constant frequency |
| Motherboard | ASUS RAMPAGE V EXTREME |
| RAM | Corsair Vengeance LPX, 2133 MHz, 4 × 4 GB |
| ROM | Intel SSD 520 240 GB + Crucial M550 512 GB |
| power unit | Corsair AX1200i, 1200 W |
| CPU cooling system | Thermalright Archon |
| Frame | CoolerMaster Test Bench V1.0 |
| Monitor | NEC EA244UHD |
| operating system | Windows 10 Pro x64 |
| Software for AMD GPUs | |
| All | Radeon Software Crimson Edition 16.10.2 Hotfix (Tesselation: Use application settings) |
| NVIDIA GPU software | |
| All | GeForce Game Ready Driver 375.57 Beta |
| Benchmarks: synthetic | |||
| Test | API | Permission | Full screen anti-aliasing |
| 3DMark Fire Strike | DirectX 11 (feature level 11_0) | 1920 × 1080 | Off |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Extreme | 2560 × 1440 | ||
| 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra | 3840 × 2160 | ||
| 3DMark Time Spy | DirectX 12 (feature level 11_0) | 2560 × 1440 | |
| Benchmarks: games | |||
| Game (in order of release date) | API | Settings | Full screen anti-aliasing |
| 1920 × 1080 / 2560 × 1440 | |||
| Crysis 3 + FRAPS | DirectX 11 | Max. quality. Start of the Swamp mission | Off |
| Battlefield 4 + FRAPS | Max. quality. Beginning of the Tashgar mission | ||
| Metro: Last Light Redux, built-in benchmark | Max. quality | ||
| GTA V, built-in benchmark | Max. quality | ||
| DiRT Rally | Max. quality | ||
| Rise of the Tomb Raider, built-in benchmark | DirectX 12 | Max. quality, VXAO off | |
| Tom Clancy's The Division, built-in benchmark | DirectX 11 | Max. Quality, HFTS off | TAA: Stabilization |
| HITMAN, built-in benchmark | DirectX 12 | Max. quality | Off |
| Ashes of the Singularity, built-in benchmark | DirectX 12 | Max. quality | |
| DOOM | Vulkan | Max. quality. Foundry Mission | |
| Total War: WARHAMMER built-in benchmark | DirectX 12 | Max. quality | |
| Benchmarks: video decoding, computing | |
| Program | Settings |
| LuxMark 3.1 x64 | Hotel Lobby Scene (Complex Benchmark) |
| SiSoftware Sandra 2016 SP1, GPGPU Scientific Analysis | Open CL, FP32/FP64 |
MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GAMING X 4G
Video card manufacturers, not holding back their imagination and engineering ingenuity, offer countless different modifications of the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti. The category is fertile, you can safely experiment with equipment and cost. MSI also offers seven different modifications of the GTX 1050 Ti, including the simplest ones with an aluminum bar as a cooler, 17-centimeter short ones for Mini-ITX, and even low-profile models.
MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Gaming X 4G is the top version in its category. The most equipped and with a corresponding price tag. The video card received an original printed circuit board, cooler and thorough factory overclocking.
The base GPU frequency has been increased from 1290 MHz to 1354 MHz with an average boost of 1468 MHz. This frequency formula corresponds to the standard Gaming Mode preset, activated by default. Like any other version of the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, the video card is equipped with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory operating at the recommended 7008 MHz. The 128-bit bus in this case allows you to get a throughput of 112.1 GB/s.
The proprietary MSI Gaming App utility allows you to change the operating mode of the adapter with one click of the mouse. OC Mode involves increasing the base frequency of the chip to 1379 MHz and the memory from 7008 MHz to 7108 MHz. While Silent Mode sets the frequency formula recommended for the reference GeForce GTX 1050 Ti – 1290/7008 MHz. During our graphics card tests, we used the default Gaming Mode.
From Palit: StormX series
It has an interesting design, the casing is made in a unique style. It is also worth noting that because of this, the model is increased in size, so it does not correspond to standard EVGA ones.
Under the cover is a fan made of aluminum with simple blades diverging in different directions. It is this variant of the fan location that allows the microcircuit to be cooled with the greatest air flow. The casing is standard, decorated in a classic style, black. Some users note that the video card only heats up if there is no cleaning after 6 months. Subject to overclocking.
Design and Layout
The external design of the devices of the updated MSI Gaming line is already familiar to us.
Branded red and black composite cooling system casing, large fans with dragon nameplates. A massive heat pipe in this class is an additional intrigue and a reason to take a closer look at the adapter’s capabilities.
The video card uses the sixth generation Twin Frozr cooling system. The cooler is based on a set of medium-sized aluminum plates. To improve heat transfer, the design uses one nickel-plated heat pipe with a diameter of 8 mm.
The tube is in direct contact with the GPU chip, which further increases its efficiency. As you can see in the photo, most of the silicon wafer is covered with a copper heat pipe, but there are small areas on both sides that are cooled by an aluminum profile. The heat pipe is well pressed into the base of the heat sink. After milling and additional processing, there is virtually no technical groove at the junction of the elements.
Note that there is also a pair of heat-conducting stickers on the site that cover two of the four memory chips.
Among the nuances of the radiator cassette, we note the presence of small guide deflectors in the profile of the plates. In this way, engineers tried to increase the air flow passing in the heat pipe interface area.
A pair of 90 mm axial fans are used to blow the radiator block. Large blades are made using TORX 2.0 technology, which involves a special profile shape. According to the manufacturer, special bends of the impeller improve air flow.
MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GAMING X 4G has an original PCB with a length of 210 mm. The power system has a 4-phase layout.
Three phases are used for the graphics processor, another is allocated for the needs of memory chips. The VRM block is controlled by the uPI Semiconductor uP9509P controller. M3816N from Ubiq Semiconductor is used as power assemblies. There is no additional cooling provided for VRM elements. Traditionally, original MSI adapter models use SFC chokes with ferrite cores.
The video card uses Samsung K4G80325FB-HC28 memory chips, which according to the specifications are ready to operate at an effective frequency of 7000 MHz. The capacity of each chip is 8 Gbit, so four chips provide a total of the required 4 GB.
Formally, the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti can do without additional power. The declared thermal package (TDP) of these video cards is only 75 W, and a PCI Express x16 slot can easily provide such power. However, tuned versions of the line adapters still receive an additional source of energy. The 6-pin connector allows for another 75 watts. Just right for a souped-up model. And it’s not at all a fact that the owner will be content with only the standard mode, so a supply will not hurt. In the system requirements, the manufacturer recommends a power supply with a power of 300 W or more. It is unlikely that such a power supply will actually be used for a gaming system, but this once again emphasizes the very modest energy appetite of the video card.
On the reverse side of the printed circuit board there are a number of elements, among which only one low-profile capacitor with a tantalum core stands out. There is no additional protective plate provided. An anodized aluminum plate often complements the appearance of the device, but it is still a mandatory attribute of video cards.
However, it would be wrong for the owner of a video card to complain about additional decor. On the top edge of the adapter there is a white illuminated logo of the game series next to the brand name.
The illumination with illuminated decorative inserts around one of the fans looks impressive.
The backlight mode can be configured from the MSI Gaming App. There aren't many opportunities here. Options are available with a constant glow, fading, single and double blinking, as well as a version with a random selection of modes. If desired, the backlight can be turned off.
The interface panel has three digital video outputs – DVI-D, HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4. All connectors are lined up in one row. Approximately two-thirds of the mounting plate is occupied by ventilation holes, which in this case are decorative. Despite the fact that the cooling system is equipped with axial fans, and therefore the air flow is not directed, some of the heated air will be discharged outside the system unit.
The total length of the video card is 230 mm, which is less than the standard width of ATX motherboards (244 mm). Therefore, when installing the adapter into the case, even theoretically, no questions should arise.
Cooling system
When choosing a video card, in many ways it is the alternative cooling system that plays a decisive role. After all, it is very important that the video card does not overheat, which will certainly extend the life of the device itself and the reliability of the system as a whole. Guided by these considerations, ASUS has improved the proven Direct CU cooling system to not only cool the video card, but also make it almost silent.
It is important to note that in retail video cards are sold with seals and removal of the cooling system is not provided. In our case, the seal has already been broken, so we unscrew the four screws and disconnect the connectors for powering the fans and lighting.
A single-section aluminum radiator with two heat pipes is in contact only with the graphics chip. The imprint on the surface is even, all tubes take part in heat removal.
The plastic casing is fixed to the radiator using latches and double-sided tape. In addition, the cables for powering the backlight and fans are neatly routed here.
The role of active cooling is assigned to two 92 mm Everflow fans, model name T129215SM. At the ends of the impeller there are small protrusions, due to which there is an increase in air flow and an increase in static pressure for purging the radiator. This is an important point, since the heatsink only contacts the GPU, and the memory chips and power subsystem do not have passive cooling.
In progress
Like other models of the Gaming family, the MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GAMING X 4G graphics card supports the technology with the sonorous name ZeroFrozr. In idle mode, the cooling system fans stop and do not start until the chip temperature reaches 60 degrees.
In this case, on an open bench, the graphics processor warmed up to only 31–33 degrees. Due to the high efficiency of the radiator unit, the graphics processor very slowly increases the temperature when the load begins. For example, during Geralt's wanderings from Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the fans start only 2–2.5 minutes after the game starts. In this case, the moment of start can only be determined visually. The noise level produced is lost against the background of a more powerful source - a 150 mm fan on the processor cooler.
During the experiments, the GPU temperature at peak increased to 63 degrees, while the fan speed increased to 820 rpm. The cooling system used copes well with the load that the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti can generate. One could even say that the capabilities of the SO are somewhat redundant; this would be an inappropriate compliment.
I honestly liked the lower threshold, barely exceeding 30 degrees. In a closed case the temperatures will be slightly higher, but they are very far from the limit value. This means that the passive mode will be stable. The fans will not break at the slightest load on the video card. They start when the processor temperature rises to 62 degrees and stop when it reaches 50C.
During gaming tests, the GPU was accelerated up to 1785 MHz, but in most cases the chip was running at 1772 MHz under load.
Game tests
Let's move on to gaming applications and focus on the testing methodology. FPS measurements were carried out using the FRAPS utility. All games were tested in the two most current resolutions: 1920x1080 and 2560x1440. Vertical Sync (VSync) and anti-aliasing have been manually disabled. All other settings were set to the maximum possible (Ultra).
Considering the results, we can safely say that this model is well suited for gaming on monitors with a resolution of 1920x1080; here you can go ahead and turn the settings to high/maximum, but be sure to turn off anti-aliasing. However, for higher resolutions you will have to lower the graphics options.
Overclocking
The relatively powerful VRM unit and especially the connector for additional power provoke me to fool around a little with overclocking the video card. In the MSI Afterburner settings, the Power Limit parameter can be increased by 25%, so you don’t have to restrain yourself.
Experimentally, it was possible to increase the base frequency of the graphics processor to 1471 MHz. If the indicators are based on the reference recommended value of 1290 MHz, we have a relative increase of +14%. Memory chips can also be accelerated. Instead of the standard 7008 MHz, the chips worked stably at 8108 MHz (+15.7%).
After additional overclocking, the GPU was accelerated to almost 1900 MHz at peak, but the GPU often ran at 1885 MHz under load. Moreover, this time we have a situation where the graph looks like a flat plateau without frequency drops.
The heating of the GPU increased by only one degree – to 64C, and the fan speed increased to 875 rpm. If only top video cards could have the same performance.
Printed circuit board
Here we use a full-format board equipped with high-quality components. It is immediately clear that the manufacturer did not save on anything, but approached the task with full responsibility.
The graphics processor is located in the center, and memory chips are soldered around it. To the left are the power elements of the power supply subsystem.
There is nothing noteworthy on the reverse side.
The GP107-400-A1 graphics chip is manufactured using the 14 nm process technology at Samsung facilities. Thanks to this, the GPU does not require special attention when dissipating heat. The first thing that catches your eye is the absence of a metal frame that could protect the crystal from chips. An important feature of this model is the presence of factory overclocking of the graphics core.
GDDR5 memory modules are represented by Samsung chips. All chips are marked K4G80325FB-HC28. There is no factory overclocking from memory.
The power subsystem uses a 4-phase circuit controlled by a uP9501P PWM controller.
There are two phases for memory. To the right, near the connector for connecting an external fan, there is an iTE 8915FN-56 microcircuit, which performs monitoring functions.
Performance
We have already tested the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti earlier, so the capabilities of video cards in this series are not some kind of revelation. The top version with the GP107 graphics processor easily outperforms not only the basic gaming models GeForce GTX 1050 and Radeon RX 460, but also the staunch mid-ranger of the previous generation - the GeForce GTX 960.
4 GB of memory is a good help for new games, in which such a volume is desirable even for medium graphics quality settings. The owner of a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti should mostly count on such modes. With the increase in the quality of settings in heavy games, the resources of the GTX 1050 Ti are no longer always enough, yet the capabilities of the GP107 are not limitless. Additional overclocking of the video card allows you to increase the number of frames/sec by 10–12%, but this is not always enough to radically improve the situation.
From a rational point of view, the most affordable GeForce GTX 1050 Ti video cards, which are offered from ~$170, are good. Top versions for $190–200 logically raise more questions, given the Radeon RX 470 4 GB and GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB available on the market, the cost of which starts at about $230.
Compared to AMD's solution, even tuned GTX 1050 Ti still cost ~20% cheaper than the most affordable Radeon RX 470 options, plus they are much more economical than adapters based on Ellesmere chips and are offered with virtually silent cooling systems. On the Radeon RX 470 4 GB side there is noticeably better performance. In some situations, the advantage of a mid-class model on an AMD chip can even exceed 30%. But you will still need to pay extra for an additional increase in performance. An increase in actual power consumption by 50–70 W is unlikely to have a significant impact on the decision to purchase a desktop video card, but this includes additional heat that needs to be dissipated, which means using a more efficient and expensive CO. Therefore, the choice here will largely depend on personal priorities and preferences.
From EVGA: Gaming Series
It has no additional power supply and is small in size. The card has only one pin, but due to its thoughtful design, in which you can highlight the company logo, it is popular with many users. The system contains an aluminum blank, it is painted black. Electricity consumption is reduced, a unique power distribution system from the network.
The price is around 17,000, which does not justify the budget, but the card runs all modern games at medium settings. It features the ability to connect up to 3 monitors and has standard connectors: HDMI, DVI-D, and DisplayPort.
Video review of MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GAMING X 4G
4.5
ITC.UA rating
Pros: Interesting exterior design with decorative lighting; improved power unit; factory overclocking; very efficient and quiet cooling system with passive mode; 4 GB memory; excellent efficiency
Cons: Price
Conclusion: MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GAMING X 4G is one of the best graphics cards based on GP107 GPU. The model has a very efficient and almost silent cooling system that operates in passive mode at minimal load. The top version of the MSI line has an excellent element base for its class and significant factory tuning. At the same time, the power connector and powerful VRM unit allow you to develop success if you are ready for frequency experiments. Overclocking has almost no effect on the heating and energy appetite of the video card, which even after afterburner demonstrates amazing efficiency. A lower price would add to the attractiveness of the considered model, but so far only versions with noticeably simpler cooling and schematic wiring are cheaper. If you have already decided on the line and are considering specific modifications of the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, the MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GAMING X 4G model will be among the not the cheapest, but the highest quality low-speed options.
From MSI: Standard OC
The most affordable and simple model, both from the 1050 Ti line from MSI and from other manufacturers. It has only one large type fan, but compact dimensions. The model features a combination of black and white color palettes.
The cooler is large and consists of a solid thick plate. It is worth highlighting that the distance between the ribs is quite large. Microcircuits and batteries are most open to airflow. Three-phase type converter, shortened format board.
⇡#Performance: video decoding
GP107 is equipped with exactly the same video decoding unit as the older GPUs of the Pascal family, adjusted for slightly lower performance due to lower frequencies. However, the hardware H.264/H.265 decoder in NVIDIA chips is still the best in its class.
Note: since decoders within the same GPU line usually do not differ, the diagrams show one device from each family (or more if this rule is violated).
